Monday, January 9, 2017

Donations to thrift stores in the Canoga Park area were “through the roof” in the days leading up to the new year, according to an industry insider, leading to an abundance of fresh merchandise on the charitable organizations’ shelves in the first weeks of 2017.

Some of the fabulous offerings currently available at Salvation Army's Family Store. Staff photo.

“Oh, yeah, it was ca-ray-zee,” laughs Trenice Campbell, Donation Intake Coordinator at the Salvation Army Family Store on Roscoe Boulevard. “The last week or so? Through! The! Roof! They kept me hopping with all those bags of clothes — some nice stuff, too — an’ Christmas decorations, an’ mugs for your coffee, an’ whatnot. They just kept coming an’ donating! Now don’t get me started on that last day, New Year’s Eve! It was off the hook! I’ve never seen so many donations!”

Generous to a fault, Canoga Park residents continued to donate gently used goods even after
Council Thrift Store was closed, by arranging them neatly outside the back door. Staff photo.

Most thrift stores in the area reported similar situations with increased drop-offs during the week of December 26 to 31. Says court-mandated volunteer D’onatio Nardone of Goodwill Owensmouth, “Yeah, all day long there was a line of cars [of] people dropping stuff off. It never ended. Next time I have to do community service, I’m signing up for freeway trash pickup instead.”

Donations were brisk at Assistance League Thrift store in the Ralphs Shopping Center as well, according to Joan Mitnick, who runs the cash register on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays if Annette is out. “It was a little hectic. I had to coordinate drop-offs and keep an eye on the usual itinerants who wander in and spend the better part of the day ‘browsing’ and making everyone nervous,” reports the spritely volunteer.

Albert Sheldrick. File photo.

“What we’re seeing is the annual uptick of people who have come across some bit of information leading them to believe that by donating these goods to charitable organizations by the end of the year, they can get a significant break on the taxes they owe come April 15th — maybe even get a larger refund,” says Albert Sheldrick, a licensed CPA, or Canoga Park accountant, and owner of Peppy Accounting on Saticoy. “However, what many of them fail to realize is that the value of a bag of threadbare underpants, a half-burned salted caramel-scented candle and a string of non-working Christmas lights is often less than what your accountant will charge for filing an itemized list of donations to what would otherwise by a standard 1040-EZ form.

“Or maybe everyone was just getting rid of crap, wanting to start the new year with a clean slate, free of useless junk and unwanted, thoughtless, last-minute gifts,” he concedes. “By the way, thanks for coming in and asking about all this. Here, take this complimentary National Lampoon Christmas Vacation Hot Sauce set, never opened. Seriously, take it, or it’s going in the garbage.”

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